A Phenomenological Model for the Reset Mechanism of Metal Oxide RRAM

The reset mechanism of metal oxide RRAM has been attributed to oxygen ion migration assisted by Joule heating. Here, we present a phenomenological model to provide a unified explanation for both the unipolar and bipolar resistive switching mechanisms. Numerical simulation results reveal that the switching mode is determined by the electrode/oxide interface property. Without/with an interfacial barrier, unipolar/bipolar switching behavior is obtained. This model combines the previous thermal dissolution model and ion migration model and thus can explain many experimental observations such as the electrode-material-dependent switching polarity and the voltage-time dilemma between fast switching and long retention.